(Concord, NH) An attempt by a New Hampshire State Prison inmate to take his own life was prevented this morning by the efforts of staff at the Concord facility. At 7:28 AM on Friday, May 3, 2002, a medium-security inmate climbed to the third floor of his housing unit and threatened to jump.

The prison immediately activated standard emergency procedures, contacted the Concord Fire Department, and sent a team of negotiators to the scene. A NH-DOC employee trained in hostage negotiations, a prison Corrections Officer with whom the inmate works, and a prison mental health counselor talked at length with the inmate and brought the matter to a safe, successful conclusion. The incident was declared over at 9:33 AM, when the inmate climbed back over the railing and was escorted to the prison's medical unit for treatment and observation.

State Corrections Commissioner Phil Stanley said, "Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the staff, this incident did not escalate into a more serious situation. I would like to personally commend these individuals and offer my sincere thanks for their accomplishment."

Standard emergency procedure required that all other inmates be locked inside their units during the incident. The institution returned to its normal operating schedule at approximately 10:20 AM.